


These Violent Delights

by Xxwritemeastoryxx



Category: The Vampire Diaries, the originals - Fandom
Genre: All Human AU, Crime AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:33:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24791644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xxwritemeastoryxx/pseuds/Xxwritemeastoryxx
Summary: Adriana Vega is no stranger to the other side of the law. Her rap sheet would be a mile long if they could actually get her into custody. Many have tried and none have succeeded. Because of her particular set of skills, it has made her the most coveted mercenary on the Black Market to date. The clients love that she never misses her mark and usually done within a 24 hour window making their money well spent. Getting a new black card was business as usual and believes the job will be a piece of cake. That is until she realizes the mark is an old friend of hers.Elijah Mikaelson has made a name for himself as one of the best detectives at the New Orleans Police Department. Throughout his career, it’s been no secret that he is always at the helm of most cases taking down dangerous criminals, including the notorious Salvatore Crime family. While Elijah knows that there are times he needs to watch his back, he never expected an old ghost to make an appearance right when he was given his biggest case yet.
Relationships: Elijah Mikaelson & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. Close to Home

**Author's Note:**

> I'm excited for this! This is my post on ao3 and I'm not sure what to expect from here. But here is the newest series I've been working on and decided to post it on several different platforms this time. I do hope you guys enjoy this!

Sirens filled the air as several cop cars surrounded the outside of the Vega household. What was once a quiet night at home had been ruined the moment the sirens blared, leaving the members of the house knowing there was nowhere to go. That their night would be anything but peaceful

The younger Vega children that were at home didn’t understand what was going on. They didn’t understand what it was that any of them had done to cause the police to enter their home. Worry filled Adriana’s face as she helped her mother hold on to her younger siblings as several officers led them outside. She and her mother understood what was going on. Her father’s life work had finally caught up with him and they were finally there for him. 

Victor Vega had his hands deep in the black market. Whatever anyone needed, Victor could easily procure it in a timely manner. For the right price of course. His morals were out the window when it came to his business. There was never a shortage of business and his family had been able to live comfortably. At least that was until he messed up, catching the attention of Mikael Mikaelson. 

While Mikael once followed the rules, he now used what he could to his advantage. His pockets bought the information he needed and it led him straight for Victor. If he could arrest someone such him, Mikael could make a name for himself on the force and he could move up the ladder as he wanted. 

At least that had been the plan. Until the search through the house came up empty. Victor had been sane enough to ensure he never brought his work home with him. While those traces had led them to Victor, the proof of possession was lacking. 

“Just tell me what you know,” Mikael said as he looked at Adriana. He had pulled her over to the side, wanting to speak with her privately. “Your father must have told you something.”

“I know nothing.” Adriana said as she crossed her arms. While there were many reasons why she had despised the Mikaelson in front of her, she hated him even more for coming to her home and disrupting her younger sibling’s sleep. “He has never pulled me into this. You would know that if you actually listened to what your son has told you.”

“My son has been wrapped into your lies for long enough that I no longer accept what he has told me.” Mikael’s eyes narrowed at her. “What he sees in you, I’ll never understand. Maybe after tonight, Elijah will actually see how much you try to protect your vile family.”

“Mikaelson!” A new voice filled the air. Another officer came up to them, someone that Adriana had never met before. “That’s enough. She’s a kid.” 

Mikael took one last look at Adriana before walking away from her. This wouldn’t be the last time he had that conversation with her. His gut was telling him that even a child such as her would eventually find herself in plenty of situations similar to her father. 

Fifteen Years Later  
The sound of metal snapping had been music to Adriana’s ears. Cutting the lock to the roof access was one of the easier tasks of the night. A small smirk pulled at her lips as tossed the bolt cutters into her bag before picking up her rifle case and headed up the last few steps to her destination.

As the cold night air reached her face, she took in a deep breath. Tonight was going to be easy money. As she walked over to the ledge of the building, her brown eyes scanned the building right across from her. The view of the high-end hotel in front of her gave her the perfect view she needed. 

Once she had the right room she needed in view, she began unloading the sniper rifle she carried with her. While she would never admit it out loud, this was one of her favorite parts of the job. To have the power to take someone’s life way without them ever knowing that they were the target. 

From years of practice, she had the rifle set up and in position in a matter of moments. Just as she moved into position, her target walked in through the door with his mistress. “Right on schedule.” She mumbled to herself. All she had to do was wait for the right moment. 

A second later, her phone began ringing. Her eye never left her target as she brought her hand up to her headset. Tapping on the button she accepted the call before bringing her hand back into position. At the beginning of the automated message, her eyes rolled. It never failed that she would be getting a call from someone in a detention facility. 

It usually meant that her next black card would come from someone that was behind bars. In Adriana’s line of work, a black card held a chip inside of it that gave her all the details she needed of her target. It gave specific routines and details that she would need to complete her task. She just wondered who it would be from this time. 

Rosa, it’s Damon.  
A huff passed her lips at the quick recording. Damon Salvatore was an old friend of hers as well as a regular client of hers. The Salvatores had given Adriana a pretty nest egg over the last few years. She could comfortably retire and live her life off on some island if she wanted. But she was still young, and she enjoyed what she did a lot more than the idea of retirement. 

“How is it behind bars, Salvatore?” She asked the moment the call connected. 

Damon’s laugh on the other end had brought a small smirk to her lips. He hadn’t changed one bit. “I bet you say that to all your inmate callers.”

“Just you, Damon.” She said as she adjusted slightly. “If I said it to everyone, it wouldn’t make you so special.”

“Careful, Rosa.” Adriana could hear the smirk in his voice. “Wouldn’t want Elena to hear you have a soft spot for me.”

A scoff passed her lips. “I’m in the middle of getting take-out. I’m assuming there was a reason you were calling me?”

A chuckle came over the phone. “What is on the menu tonight?”

“Chinese.” She watched as her target came to settle on the couch in front of the window. The exact place she had noticed from the information on the black card. Where was the challenge of someone going out of their daily routine? All she needed was for the woman that was currently entertaining him to move. 

"Sounds delicious." She could hear the teasing in his tone. "Look, I was wondering if you could pick up a kitten and drop it off in New Orleans. Elena is a little lonely, and I thought a companion would help ease that while I'm gone. She’s had her eye on this specific one for a while now." 

"Does it need to be a handoff or can I drop and run? I do have a lot of things I need to take care of starting tomorrow." At this point, she knew this was going to be a conversation of interest. The faster she could get off the phone, the better.

"Preferably a handoff." He scoffed. "Can't leave a kitten on a porch until Elena gets off of work."

"Alright. Have Blondie leave word at my office; I'll get the details once I get back." She watched as the companion moved over to the bar and began pouring herself a drink. 

"When will you be back?"

"As soon as I finish my order." She mumbled before pressing the trigger. A satisfied smirk pulled at her lips at the chaos that unfolded before her." You know it's rude to be speaking on the phone while getting ready to order.” She said as she pulled herself up from her spot. 

“Right.” She could almost see him roll his eyes at her comment. It wouldn’t have been Damon if he hadn’t. “Before I forget, put a red bow on it. Make it cute.”

Adriana laughed. “Anything else I should remember?” She asked as she began putting things away in record time before picking up the shell casing. 

“I’m sure she’ll know it's from me, but it wouldn’t hurt to tell her.” 

Her eyebrow raised at the words. That was a dangerous game, and Damon knew it. But Damon also knew it was Adriana that could pull it off flawlessly. “Want the works or short and sweet.”

“Will it hurt to do the works?”

A chuckle passed her lips. “A little extra never hurt anyone.” She said as she made her way towards the roof access. She had a usual routine when it came to ‘the works’. “Make sure Blondie gets it to me soon; otherwise, I might not be able to do it.”

“Don’t worry, Rosa. I already called her and details would be waiting for you the moment you get back from lunch.”

Without another word, Damon hung up. Or it was that his time was up. Either way, Adriana knew that with this next job, she’d be going to the one place she hadn’t been to in years. 

Home. 

_____

The light green case folder slid across the desk, pulling Elijah Mikaelson’s attention from the desktop for only a second. His eyes moved back to the screen, continuing to fill out the report he had been working on. The sound of a throat clearing was what caused him to finally stop and look away for longer than a second. 

He found Marcel Gerard standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. Sighing, Elijah reached over and grabbed a hold of the file. 

"What is it now?" He asked as he started to open the file. 

"Damon made an interesting call last night." Marcel said as he leaned against the desk. 

"And?" Elijah's eyebrow raised, not bothering to look at the case notes just yet. 

“The first call he made was to Caroline Forbes.” Marcel said with a slight shrug. “Mostly to check in on his girlfriend, who was working at the time. But he asked her to deliver a package to a friend. There were no details on what the package was. At least there wasn’t until he made the second call to a burner phone.”

Elijah’s eyebrow raised as he took in Marcel’s words. “He’s making deals while behind bars.” 

Marcel shook his head. “He’s ordering hits. The transcript is in there. I was told this one holds priority.”

Elijah flipped several pages over until he found the transcripts of the calls. Just as Marcel said, Damon’s call to Caroline had been nothing too out of the ordinary. While the details of the package hadn’t been clarified, he had gotten more details out in the next phone call. 

Placing the file down on the desk, Elijah leaned back in his seat. “I would ask how Salvatore had managed to get a mercenary’s number, but this is Damon we are talking about. We’ve been after ‘Rosa’ for years and he’s been one way to get to her all along.”

Several years after Elijah joined New Orleans PD, a mercenary by the name of Rosa had started appearing in multiple intelligence reports. Corrupt politicians around the world were relying on Rosa to get several jobs done. And as the years passed, she became untouchable. No one in the world had managed to get a hold of the woman and take her in. 

Anytime someone called her, her voice had been distorted, leaving her voice unrecognizable. No matter what techs had been hired, they couldn’t fix her voice. She left no traces of her time there and there was never any DNA Evidence left behind. 

Elijah had been close to finding out who she was when he had first become Detective. He figured out the location of her next target and was ready to take her down. But just as he was about to, he was handed a more important case that focused on the Salvatore Crime Family. His priorities changed and Rosa slipped through the cracks. 

Marcel sighed. “Your sister said that would be the only fact you focused on.”

Elijah’s eyebrow raised. “Is there something I’m missing?”

“Rosa is coming to New Orleans to take down a target. The only one who has pissed of the Salvatores recently has been you.” Marcel hoped that his words would register in his mind this time.

Elijah shook his head and chuckled. “You think I’m the target?”

“Rebekah believes so. And if Damon hired Rosa, it’s not going to be something you see coming.” Marcel didn’t like the thought of it, but it was something that needed to be discussed. 

Elijah thought for a moment. Rebekah had reason to worry. He had dismantled the Salvatore family in more ways than one. The Salvatore Brothers were both sitting in two different Prisons. The girlfriends were the only ties to the organization. Both of them had currently been under surveillance. 

If Rosa was hired to take him out, Marcel was right. He wouldn’t see it coming. That was proven several times over the years. Every one of her targets never saw it coming. Her Mo was different each time, making it harder to decipher if it was her or not. The choice of death was always asked by the person that hired her. 

With that thought in mind, he pulled the file back to him. His eyes scanned the transcript. If it was for him, he needed to know what was the choice. As he scanned over the transcript, a small smirk pulled at his lips. “I’ll see it coming.”

“Excuse me?” Marcel asked wanting to be sure he had heard Elijah correctly. 

“If I am the intended target, I’ll see it coming.” He held out the file to Marcel. “She asked if it would be a handoff or a drop and run. Salvatore replied with a handoff. It means he wants her close and personal with the intended target.”

“Elijah, this could be anyone.” Marcel hated that at this moment Elijah was being stubborn about this. While he understood that hiding away wasn’t the best option, it was going to make things difficult. “Waiters, bankers, anyone that we may come into contact in our daily lives and you wouldn’t know the difference.”

“She works based off of routine.” Elijah reminded him. “If I stick to the same places and faces, this will work in our favor.”

“You really want to do this?” Marcel asked as he pointed a finger to the file. “He asked her to put in the works as well. That could be anything. If it’s an in-person encounter, she has an unlimited amount of ways she could do this.”

“I’m taking this as a challenge, Marcel. One that I’m surprised you aren’t taking. We’ve been after Rosa for years and now that we have a target close to home, you want to back out.” Elijah understood the risks. His whole job was about risks. But he wasn’t about to lay low out of fear. He’d rather face it head-on. 

“Are you crazy?” Rebekah asked as she walked into the office. She had heard the tail end of the conversation. She wasn’t about to have her brother go through with his crazy ideas. “I would expect this from Nik, but not you Elijah.”

An amused looked formed on Elijah’s face at his sister’s words. “I’ve been in worse situations than this one. Say, for instance, actually taking down the Salvatores.”

“Bloody hell,” Rebekah said as she ran her hand down her face. “You had a bulletproof vest on. Are you going to walk around with one on all day until she is caught?”

It was Marcel’s words that shocked them both. “He’s got a point, Bex. This is a case that we haven’t solved in years. She’s still out there because we started working on the Salvatore case. I’ve always been wondering who’s the face we are supposed to put on the wanted poster.”

Rebekah looked between the two men in front of her. She shook her head and threw her hands up. “Fine, but we are making your life a case out of it. You will have your team on standby any time you go out. I want surveillance on Forbes up until the handoff.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Marcel said with a smirk. Rebekah rolled her eyes and walked out of the room at that. “Remind me how she’s your boss when she’s your family?”

Elijah chuckled. “As many times as I’ve mentioned she’s my sister, they never quite believe it. If there is anyone to ask about why, I’d say it has something to do with Mikael.”

Marcel shook his head slightly. “I bet she’s already out there getting people on it.”

“No doubts about that.” Elijah said with a nod. “Why don’t we get Niklaus on surveillance. I’m sure he wouldn’t lose sights of Forbes.”

Marcel threw his head back with a laugh. “100 says he’ll get smacked from attempting to get her number.”

“Lets make it more interesting. 200 that we’ll get a call about it.” Elijah said as he stood from his desk and grabbed his jacket.

There was a lot of work ahead of them. If things were going to work in their favor, there was a lot of prep work that needed to be done. From experience, Elijah knew there was going to be long nights ahead of them. Especially if Rosa was coming into town. And this time, He wasn’t going to be letting her slip through the cracks again.


	2. What Used to Be

The streets of New Orleans hadn't changed when Adriana had left home several years ago. While being able to take in the world's sights had been a fantastic experience all on its own, she missed being back in her old stomping grounds. While some displays and shops had changed over time, the atmosphere never did. This was her home. A place she once believed that she would always stay in. At least that was until things changed. 

Her world had been thrown upside down the night Mikael came to her family home. What had once been a family that could tolerate the things Victor had done, they now had grown to hate the things he had brought to the family. The home invasion had been the last straw that broke the camel's back. 

Adriana's mother, Leticia, had enough and called it quits. While she tried taking herself and the kids to stay with family outside of New Orleans, Adriana refused to go. She wasn't about to leave her father alone. While her mother reminded her of what they had gone through during that time, Adriana didn't budge. Her mother left and took her siblings with her. 

In the weeks that followed, Adriana got the courage to finally ask Victor to let her in on the trades her father had been involved in. Victor had been hesitant at first. He didn't want his daughter to become involved. But Adriana wanted to know how to make the business better. Better in a way that he would no longer get caught. Because if she had to watch Mikael Mikaelson arrest her father one more time, it would break her. 

Over the next two years, Adriana learned the ins and outs of her father's business. Together, they had found ways to cheat the system in her father's dealings. Where Victor had found methods to keep his tracks covered, Adriana had found others to make him untraceable and make his system stronger. 

But what her father didn't know at the time, Adriana had been learning new things for herself. With the cover-up of school projects, she discovered a whole new skill with the help of someone she had met while going through the black market herself. A woman by the name of Greta was willing to teach Adriana everything she had known about being a Mercenary. 

While Adriana had her secret meetings with Greta, that hadn't stopped her from enjoying her High School years with her Friends. Elijah Mikaelson had been one of her best friends growing up, and he had always been there for her. The night after Mikael had raided her home, Elijah did everything he could to take her mind off. He was still a better influence, and someone who would always be there for her. 

On the other side of the spectrum, was none other than Damon Salvatore. He was probably her most terrible influence while at school. While Elijah had been Adriana's best friend, Damon was the family friend since birth. Damon knew Adriana a lot more than she believed he did. And that was where Adriana began being pulled into the darker aspects of her father's business. 

Giuseppe Salvatore was known for the shady things he had done throughout his life. Several rumors that spread around town that he was a part of the mafia weren't far off. In the Salvatore Business, there was always a time where someone needed to be silent. Giuseppe always trusted Greta to take care of all his doings. 

But one night, Adriana had been with Greta training when she had gotten the call from Giuseppe. Without hesitating, Greta took Adriana along and had her take the reins. It was Adriana's first time taking a life, but the thrill of it all had been worth it. Adriana hadn't been phased that she had killed someone so easily. 

Damon was the only one who knew about Adriana's secret. He had been impressed by the way she had handled herself during it. Damon promised that once he had taken over for his father, she'd be the one he'd call if he needed anything. And it was a promise he kept. 

By the time Adriana graduated High School with her friends, she had a growing body count reaching high double digits. A month after graduation, Adriana had gotten her first black card that wasn't under Greta's supervision. From that moment, she never looked back, thriving in her secret life. 

"Well, I'll be damned," Marcel said as he took in Adriana as she walked down the street. "Adriana Vega is back in town."

Adriana looked over at Marcel and shook her head slightly. A grin pulling at her lips at seeing the man before her. "Marcel Gerard. It's been a long time since I've seen you in this part of town."

Adriana knew Marcel quite well. They had been friends over the years. While he was closer to Klaus than anything, Marcel had still been a great friend to Adriana. She was surprised to see him while she was out and about. She believed everyone she knew would have ventured out. 

Marcel chuckled. "I live out this way now. Though I know, it's been several years since you've been home. Is New Orleans too good for you now?"

It was Adriana's turn to chuckle. "No, work keeps me busy. As much as I've wanted to come home, that pay is too good to pass up."

Marcel's eyebrow raised. "What is it that you are doing?"

"I work for a traveling agency. I mostly go where they need me to." She said with a nod. "They pay travel and living expenses. So I won't complain about not getting to come home."

"Hmm, You might just have to get me their number. Police work has interesting moments. But nothing like being able to travel all the time." He said with a shrug. 

She chuckled once more. "You always wanted to be a cop."

"Now, look at me." He said with a nod. "I'm still on the force, and Elijah got promoted to Detective a few years back."

Hearing Elijah's name had made her heart drop slightly. "How is Elijah?" Her curiosity getting the best of her. 

"You mean from after you left or right now?" He asked as he crossed his arms slightly. 

Her face fell at his words. "I guess both."

Marcel sighed. "You left without saying anything to anyone. For as much as you were attached to Elijah's side, no one saw that coming. I don't think I've ever seen him so hurt."

She bit down on her lip and looked down at the ground for a moment before looking back at Marcel. "I had to get out of here. There were some things that I couldn't handle anymore, and I had to go."

Marcel placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I get it." He said with a nod. "Your dad put you through hell after your mom left. Mikael didn't make things better for you, either. A fresh start doesn't hurt. And from what I can tell, it has made things better for you."

Adriana nodded her head at his words. "That feels like a different world to me now. So many things have changed since then. Dad's no longer got his hands dirty. I haven't heard him complain about Mikael showing up at his door, so that's a plus."

He chuckled. "Mikael retired a few years back. Though that doesn't stop him from having his moments down at the station."

She rolled her eyes at that. "Sounds like so much fun."

A smile pulled at his lips. "You should stop by the station before you head out again. There are a lot of familiar faces that I know miss you."

"I'll think about it." She sighed. "But for now, I need to head home. Dad's excited that he gets a real home-cooked meal." She lifted her bag up slightly. It had been filled with groceries that she had bought moments before. 

"Make sure to bring leftovers by." He said with a nod. "You always did make the best meals."

She shook her head and chuckled. "Late night drunken meals are completely different from the sober ones."

"I don't know. Those were some pretty damn good meals either way." He said with a smirk. "Just don't be a stranger while you are in town."

"I'll try. But I can make any promises. I'm only in town for a few days before I'm out of here again."

Marcel shook his head. "Either way, It's good to see you." Marcel pulled her into a hug for only a moment before letting her go. 

"It was good to see you too." A thought crossed her mind, and she shook her head slightly. "You're going to run off and tell him I was here, aren't you?"

"Damn straight." He said with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes and turned away from him. "See you around, Marcel."

The moment Adriana had entered her family home, her father was by her side. "You took a big risk coming back home." He said as he grabbed hold of the bags she had in her hand. 

She rolled her eyes as she followed her Victor into the kitchen. "A risk that is going to pay me enough to come home for good."

"Adri, I never wanted this life for you." He shook his head as he placed the bags on the counter. "You were supposed to make it easier for me and leave it alone."

"I'm good at what I do, dad." She said as she placed her hands on the countertop. "I've been using the same system we developed. I've been untraceable."

"You were almost caught the last time you were home." He said with a shake of his head before keeping his brown eyes on his daughter. "Taking out the Mayor of New Orleans had you in their grasps."

"Dad, I haven't been home in ten years." She noted. "The Mayor being killed wasn't me. It was a decoy so that I could take out a major player in Italy. I was never home."

"Tyler said he was so sure they would have had you." There was relief in his words. Tyler Lockwood was a trusted friend on the police force. Victor and Adriana had paid him off for details on what was being heard about either of them. 

When Adriana had caught word that they were closing in on her, she made a quick decision. She fed the wrong information to the right people. It ensured that while all eyes were waiting for her in New Orleans, she was in Italy making the proper kill. What Adriana didn't know was that Elijah was at the helm of the case.

Adriana sighed and moved over to place her hand on Victor's shoulder. The man that used to stand tall in his own home was shrinking. The sins of his past hitting hard on his conscious. A world he wanted to keep away from his family had swallowed his daughter whole. 

"If it makes you feel any better, after this job, I'll be able to take an extended vacation." She said softly. "Apparently, this is a big job. Enough to leave us in the clear for several years."

"Who gave you the job?" He asked with a raised brow as he looked at his daughter. 

"Damon." She said with a nod. 

Victor scoffed and moved away from Adriana. "You know he was the whole reason you got pulled into this."

While Victor had been close friends with Giuseppe, he never thought his son would corrupt his daughter as he had. Damon's influence had taken hold, and there was no way Victor could free his daughter from it. While the first kill wasn't Damon's fault, he sure sent a lot of business his daughter's direction.

"Damon didn't start this, I did." She said as she watched her father begin to put the items in the bag away. "No one put a gun to my head and forced me to pull that trigger."

"No, but that vile woman encouraged you to put it to someone else's head." The glare he gave was enough for Adriana to take a step back.

"It's been ten years, and we are still arguing about this." She said with a sigh.

"I keep wondering what your mother would say if she saw you right now." Victor shook his head. His hand tapped on the top of the sour cream container. 

"She left." She shrugged her shoulders. "She left without looking back. When was the last time you saw Isa or Jr?" She asked curiously. 

"The night they left." His words were emotionless as the sentence passed his lips. 

"Her words no longer matter because of that." She said without holding back. "Fifteen years and she hasn't answered anything we've sent to her. So my mother wouldn't have a say in what I was doing anymore."

"You would have turned out differently if you had left with your mom." Adriana had already been shaking her head the moment he spoke. 

"I don't think so. We both know I would have found some way to get pulled into this." She had always been curious about her father's work. One way or another, she would have found out what she wanted. "Plus, I had a life out here, and she would have made it so I would have to start over."

"You threw that life away the moment you left, Adri." He shook his head. "Do you know how many times I had your friends coming to the door asking where you were? You didn't tell them that you were leaving. I had to say to each of them that you left for the summer to stay with your mother. And when you didn't come back, things changed around here. Elijah wanted to file a missing person's because you didn't answer anyone's calls. Not even mine."

That caused Adriana to look down at the tile before her. She remembered the calls she had gotten after that summer. The life Adriana had in New Orleans had been replaced by her work. The calls stopped the moment she sent a letter to her father that she wasn't coming home. 

Victor sighed and placed his hand on top of hers. "I understand the thrill of it all. To want to be able to get the money and have power all at the same time. But one of these days, you'll mess up in a way that you can't come back from."

Adriana nodded her head. She understood what her father was telling her. She watched it happen to him. She watched as Victor gave them the world with what he had been doing. But then his world crashed the moment Mikael had came into the picture. Victor lost everything from that night, and Adriana was the only part that stayed constant. 

Before she could say anything, her phone vibrated with two text messages. As she pulled her phone out of her pocket, she could see the encrypted message being displayed. Sighing, she looked over at Victor. "That would be the meeting place for picking up the black card."

Victor nodded and pulled his daughter into a tight hug. "Be safe out there."

"I always am."

_____

"Woah, wait a minute," Klaus said, looking over at Marcel. "You mean the Adriana Vega was back in town?" Klaus looked over at Elijah for a moment before looking back at Marcel. "The one who disappeared on Elijah after graduation?"

Marcel, Klaus, and Elijah had been sitting inside Rousseau's having an after-hours drink. After Marcel had run into Adriana, he invited the guys out for a drink. It wasn't until Elijah had a few drinks that Marcel dropped the news that their old friend was back in town.

Elijah rolled his eyes at his brother's words. "If I remember correctly, there was a difference between disappearing and intentionally leaving."

"She left without saying a word." Klaus Reminded him. "Not to mention the search party you almost had when she didn't come back after the summer."

The memories that tied to that particular moment had Elijah looking down at his glass. While he and Adriana had been best friends, Elijah was hoping to change that. Elijah had a whole summer planned out for the two of them. But before he could even put his plans into motion, Adriana was gone. 

"Maybe if you had made a move before graduation, she would have stayed." Klaus said with a shrug of his shoulders. 

Everyone had known that Elijah had a thing for Adriana. But no matter how many times someone encouraged it, Elijah had done the opposite. But as he had finally given into the thoughts, it had been too late. Adriana had left for the summer and wouldn't return.

"I must say the years have been good to her." Marcel said as he lifted his glass up to his lips. "Maybe you should go over to Old Man Vega's and pay her a visit."

"Or even better," Klaus said as he tilted his head towards the entrance. Adriana had just walked in. Her eyes had been scanning the place before her eyes landed on someone in the corner. "Maybe just go over there and talk to her."

Elijah watched as Adriana had begun walking over to the corner booth. Marcel had been right. Time had been great to her. She was just as beautiful as the last time he had seen her. There was something in her brown eyes that he couldn't quite place, but the look of it all made him miss her even though she was standing a few feet away. 

The sound of excited screams filled the air the moment Adriana reached the booth, causing the men to look in that direction. Elena Gilbert and Bonnie Bennett stood up from their seats and pulled Adriana into a hug. It seemed that he wasn't at the top of her list of people to see while in town. 

The laughter that followed reminded Elijah of how close they all used to be. Where they once all sat a large table, they now sat separately. Life changed after Elijah put the Salvatores in Prison. The normalcy shattered, and their worlds turned upside down. 

All Elijah could do in that moment was sit there and watch as Bonnie pulled Adriana into the seat next to her. But tonight, he was sure he would be approaching her at some point. He wanted to know the real reason she left all those years ago.


End file.
